Sharon ran her fingers over her pinstriped skirt. She ground her back teeth together before marching back into the large conference room. She had taken five minutes in the bathroom. She needed the break. The conference hall was filled with federal agencies and local agencies. The topic of the lectures focused on how to work better together; how the agencies could benefit from each other. Sharon had been told to go by the chief of police as she technically held federal jurisdiction, and she was fairly certain that she was the lowest person on the totem pole.

Pursing her lips, she pushed open the large double door and made for her seat close to the back of the hall. Slides were on the screen at the center of the room. She hadn't missed much, not that she cared. She settled back into her seat and gripped her pen tightly in her fingers. She would take notes to stay awake.

Thirty minutes later, a travel cup was set in front of her. She furrowed her brow at it before looking up. A man stood over her with a smile on his face and another cup grasped in his own fingers. He sat down next to her, leaning over conspiratorially.

"You looked like you needed a pick-me-up."

"Thank you," Sharon said, giving him a smile. "I might need more than just the one."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Maybe after the lunch break."

She groaned and leaned closer to him, her elbow on the arm rest. "You mean we have to sit here for another five hours?"

"Yup."

"This is when an FTL drive would come in handy. Pop out and pop back in and no one would ever know. Well, except for the bright flash that comes with it." She smirked and gripped the coffee. She took a sip, slowly, waiting to see what he had put in it. She was pleased what it was black and strong.

"FTL drive?"

"Sci-fi." She shook her head. "Instantaneous travel." She shrugged and too another sip. "Feel free to ignore me. My son likes to watch a lot of science fiction on television."

"You have a son?"

She could barely make out his form in the darkened room, and their conversation was getting longer by the second. So long that someone was likely to notice they were no longer paying attention. She nodded and answered. "I have two."

She caught him glancing down at her hand—her left hand, as that was the side he sat at. She blushed, but took another sip of her coffee. They paid attention to the lecture; her eyes not leaving the man's face as he stood up front in his stuffy suit and tie. It was a little while later when she felt a warm palm against her arm. She turned her head to see those dark eyes staring at her again.

"Want to skip about a bit early and take a long lunch?"

Sharon glanced down at her watch, determining that there was an hour before they would be released for their meal. Her lips became a thin line as she contemplated. Turning to look at him again, she nodded.

"All right." He smiled and leaned in closer, his breath brushing against her ear. "I'll leave now and then you come out in ten minutes. That way it won't look suspicious."

Sharon shook her head at his sneakiness, but she readily agreed to leave in ten minutes. The man slipped out of the room, and she stared at her watch every few seconds, waiting for time to pass more quickly. Her toe tapped against the ground, which earned her a nasty look from the person sitting in front of her. Apparently she made too much sound. She stopped tapping her foot and packed up her notepad. Five minutes was certainly long enough.

As soon as she stepped out of the large double doors and into the blinding light of the hallway, he was there. She finally got a good look at him. His eyes were indeed dark in color. They were a deep brown set in a rounded face. He looked very friendly. She smiled at him and tipped her glassed down her nose to get a better look. His hair was skewed on top of his head, small portions sticking out along the top. She gripped her purse over her should and swayed her hips.

"I'm Sharon." She held out her hand and waited for him to grab hold. He took her fingers in his and shook her hand slowly, his eyes locking on hers throughout the entire ordeal. Sharon noticed that his hands were soft, but with callouses along two of his fingers. She bit her lip and pulled her hand away, tentatively breaking the contact.

"Fritz Howard." He nodded. "I'm with the FBI."

"LAPD." She nodded, and they started toward the front doors to the convention center. She felt his hand against the small of her back as he pushed the door open, holding it for her to walk through first. She smiled to herself and stopped to wait. "Where are we eating?"

"Uhhh." Fritz's eyes flicked from one end of the block to the other, confusion written all over him. She waited. She wanted to know how long it would be before he spoke. "I have no idea." He gave her a quick lopsided grin. "I haven't actually lived in LA very long. Where would you suggest?"

She hummed and narrowed her eyes, looking down the road to her right. "There's a little Italian place about a block down that way." She pointed and glanced at Fritz.

"Sounds good." They started walking, his hand once again at the curve of her lower back. He wasn't pressuring her to walk faster, but she felt a slight tug to walk closer to him. She felt comfortable, which was odd. They had only just met, but there was something about the way he looked at her that completely set her at ease.

Her heels clicked against the sidewalk as they moved down the road. His fingers spread out along her back, and he tilted his head down to her. "What department do you work in?"

"Internal Affairs." She felt a rumble in his chest as he chuckled.

"So, you're the one that everyone hates?"

"That would be me." She smiled and looked at him. They were almost to the door. She nodded her head toward it, and Fritz saw the restaurant.

"This looks amenable."

"I know the chef and owner."

"It seems you have managed to stay popular while also being the one that everyone hates." He held the door open and waited for her to walk through. Sharon sent him a soft look—she wasn't sure what to make of his last comment.

###

Lunch passed by quickly, but Sharon felt more relaxed than she had in years. Fritz doted on her in the restaurant, insisting on paying for their meal. She rarely found herself checking her watch and was surprised when she looked down and saw that the afternoon session had started fifteen minutes before.

She had just stepped through the door after wishing the chef a goodbye and giving him a hug. Fritz tugged on her hand to get her attention. Sharon looked up at him, scanning his face. He smiled at her and cupped her cheek. Sharon's stomach flipped before it flopped, and she held her breath tightly in her chest, knowing exactly what was going to happen.

Their lips brushed. Shivers raced over Sharon's back. She lifted a hand to his chest and leaned in, her back arching slightly. She kissed him again. Her lips parted, and she felt his breath on her mouth. His tongue was against hers. She moaned lightly and dug her fingers into his shirt, losing herself.

Fritz's hand moved into her hair, tangling his fingers in her long locks. She felt him tug on the curls. She ran a hand over his shoulder and down to his fingers, entwining them together. She felt the metal against her skin. She moved her thumb to circle the ring around his finger, making sure he could feel her movements.

Eventually he pulled away, and Sharon smiled at him grimly. Nerves started to build in her stomach while the butterflies amped up warring with the stampede of rejection. She needed to pick one or the other to focus on, and she had no idea which that should be. He kissed her cheek and stared down at her.

"Her name is Cindy. And yes, I am married."

Sharon pulled her lip between her teeth, letting it pop out. "Technically I am as well."

He narrowed his eyes at her and leaned in closer, his lips against her ear. "Well, we share the same secret then, don't we?"

"Except I am legally separated." She pulled back to stare at him fully. She wouldn't let his gaze drop. He broke it first. Sharon shuffled past him, glancing down at her watch. She started quickly back toward the convention center.

Fritz took two long strides and caught up with her. His fingers wrapped around her arm and spun her to face him. She stepped back and shook her head.

"Sharon."

She stopped when he called her name. Something in the way he said it made her stop. She had to listen.

"Can we have dinner? Talk more then?"

"Why?" Her heart pounded in her chest.

"Because I like you." He smiled and blushed. She had to admit that the look suited him. "I'm sorry that I didn't say something before. I just didn't know how to bring it up."

She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow, signaling for him to continue. She was calming.

"You are suave and keep your cool. You could have left at any time today, and you didn't. There's something… there's something about you that I can't put my finger on yet." He stepped closer, his fingers once again curling around her cheek. "But I really, really… really like it."

She smiled and took in a sharp breath right before his lips descended to hers again. She couldn't deny the attraction. He had the rope and pulled her closer with every passing minute. After a minute, she pulled away. Rubbing her lips together, she watched him.

"We…we should get back." Her chest rose and fell quickly, and she couldn't look away from his face.

"Sharon."

"Dinner." She nodded her head firmly. "We'll have dinner." They turned and started into the building.